Yes
Yes
Yes (both)
Yes though feathers are not required
Yes and no just pop the clutch

An incline is great until you have to push it back up

Once it starts pull the clutch back in to keep her from running off

Wayne S

 

You don't have to push the engine start button. (That's the starter switch). I'm assuming the starter already doesn't work since you are going through the trouble of push-starting. Why would you push a button that doesn't work?

 

You can run along side and jump on the bike and pop the clutch, depending on how big you are. No friends to help push ? Starter Bad ?

 

I don't know what kind of bike you have but Be prepared popping the clutch may lock the rear wheel.

 

In my opinion, you need a sufficiently long incline. The heavier the bike- more incline.
Make sure gas in in the tank, ignition on, gas on, choke pulled;

I generally use 3rd gear so the bike will roll more easily when you let the clutch out. Basically, you're trying to get the engine turning and delivering spark- instaed of the starter motor. Also, if you're only in first or second gear, some bikes (depending on gearing and weight) will just slide the rear wheel when you let the clutch out.

I don't think it's possible to bumb-start a bike while straddling it / duck walking it on level ground.

Sounds like you need a battery tender or new battery? If you don't know the cause of the no-start, you may end up at the bottom of a hill...

 

That is a definite no on the start button, If you have ever tried to start a vehicle that is already running (and I'm sure everyone has) you will know the grinding is not a good thing. And if there is any juice in the battery and it tries to turn at all and even though it is not running yet it is still turning over the engine when you pop the clutch.

+1 on third gear, all you need is to turn over the engine and third is much smoother than second.

 

I'm pretty sure not all bikes can be push started. I'm not sure about mine but I know I can't physically do it, I'm 165lbs and my bike is 750lbs, and there's no hill to push down. I have bump started dirt bikes and smaller bikes though, without a problem. I always hop on the bike before letting out the clutch though, not worried about it getting away, but you go 3 degrees left or right leaning, and hte bike gets very heavy very fast.

 

Sometimes, with a high compression engine, with everything "right" like everyone has already said, right at the instant you are about to dump the clutch, you stand up on the pegs and jump down sharply and heavy as you can in the saddle, (at the exact time ,as it were) It gives you a little more weight right over the back wheel. Hey! sometimes it works. It takes practice, but it kinda works on my wife's Virago.

 

Has anyone here ever succesfully done a push start on a bike on flat ground? I like to think of my self as a strong guy and all but I have tried and never been able to do it. I have only been able to get it to work sitting on the bike and letting it roll down a hill. 600 + pound cruiser, I highly doubt it can be done by one person, maybe a lighter bike and I want video proof of anyone saying they can do it while duck walking or even straddling a heavy bike. Even 350 lbs bikes would be tough. Not saying anyone that says they can do it is BS'ing, but if you can, you are in damn good shape.

 

LOL who told you that. (talking to the OP)

You turn the key on in the run position (set the bike up where it needs to be to run), put her in first, pull in the clutch, start running alongside the bike until its going as fast as you can get it, then you jump onto the bike while its moving, and the second your ass hits the seat you let the clutch fly out and give her a little gas.

Sometimes you have to push it in neutral and shift into first quick once on the bike if its hard to push in gear.

If your trying to push start it while sitting on it... well unless your going down a steep damn hill your being a retard LOL.

I've push started heavy ass HD's with people pushing me, and I've push started both my bikes on flat ground all by myself, done it with the suzuki more times then I can count, but the one time on the ZX6R was kinda scary because it almost did a wheelie when it fired.

You should be able to push start pretty much any bike by yourself on level ground if you have enough strength / balance.

 

Tried and failed to get her to turn over.

I think i'll just go buy a charger..

;__;

 

Good move--- Unless your bike runs off a magneto,chances are very good that if the battery will not turn the starter,there is not enough energy left to fire the spark plugs anyway. My experience,my bike YMMV

 

Funny....Beacause my 500 is dead in the water....I bought a tender, but it wont charge it...i tried jumping it with a spare battery (diff style, wont work on bike) light is nice and bright, but just wont crank, not enough power....

I was going to try to bump start it..BUT if it doesnt start, i cant get it back in the room its in (side room off my deck, need to ride it up a ramp to get it)..

So now do I buy an actually charger since the maintainer didnt do anything, or just go for the new battery?

 

How is the water level in the battery?

Sometimes you can overcharge and burn them out.

You can also try just hooking a jump pack to it and hitting the starter button and see what happens (one for a car is fine if you dont hold the starter down for a long time (although people will argue with me until the thread is locked on that im 100% sure im right).

As for push starting a "COLD" older carburated bike... it can be done but can take several (even 10) tries and you might have to play with the choke... or you might just get lucky also, just depends on the bikes.

FYI the biggest reason a lot of people cant push start thier bikes is because some doofus told them to put it in 2nd gear and the engine isnt turning over enough to fire because of it. You CAN NOT get it moving fast enough sitting on it unless your going down a good hill, and you always want to be in 1st gear push starting ANYTHING, even a car.

 

Average life of a normal battery is about 3 years (sealed units last a lot longer). Fluid can evaporate past the plugs, so that level needs to be maintained- if the fluid level gets below the lead plates, it's dead. Batteries can die for other reasons, too. If you had the battery on a tender for 10 hours at least, and it doesn't turn the bike over (assuming the key is on, gas is getting to the carbs, kill switch is off, etc)- it's dead. Using a bigger charger won't bring it back to life.

 

I had my bike sitting for over 1 month, and it wouldnt crank, but had a little power...I should have bought a charger at that time. Now its dead as a nail. The tender wont even charge it. It shuts itself off with an error light. oh well...new batterey

 

Do people still use non-sealed batteries? Is there a advantage to that? I guess everything I have every had was some form of a sealed battery be it dry cell or gel.

 

It used to crank but would not turn over and gave me this odd sound. Now, the lights just glow dimly. Should I get a new battery or would a charger not help at all?

 

I've push started several on flat ground but it's been a very long time. I've also had one get away from me when it fired. I didn't jump on in time, it took off, went sideways, and we both ended up in a pile on the road!

 

i push start my vstar down my driveway all the time just for fun, just to prove i can. =) ...though iv got a very steep incline to work with. iv got it on flat ground once, but it took about a dozen embarrassing attempts before success.
iv also jump started my bike off my car before(i know everyone u shouldnt do that, but i had no choice)...it does work, just have to have quick hands

 

Have you tried this way?

 

Have you tried this way?

lol....thats great!

 

If your bike has electronic fuel injection and electronic ignition and you have a DEAD battery, the probability is that you won't get spark OR fuel when you push it. No spark and/or no fuel = no start. If the battery is only mostly dead, there won't be enough power to EXCITE the alternator, won't charge your battery, even if you do get it started and you will only go as far as the remaining power in the battery will let you. If you jump start it, using an external battery source it, the engine will probably quit as soon as you disconnedt the external source. Maybe your battery is dead because of a faulty alternator.

Best bet is to pull the battery, test it, or see if it will take a charge. If it does take a charge, after you reinstall it and get the bike running, use a volt meter to see if there is a charge going into the battery.

 

+1 this is what happened to me, I jumped it with a car, then took off on a short ride to charge the battery....well the ride was short alright...about 3/4 of a mile from my house the bike died.....I had to replace the battery, it was shot

 

Pristine out of curiosity, what bike are we talking about here? Your 250r?

 

The Best Advise I Can Give Is Don't Do It, A Large Portion Of The Time You Will End Up Under The Bike